Pulled Through the Ocean

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Takes place shortly after Getting it Together

There were few things Penny knew how to do on her phone, but she was learning. Voicemail, however, was something the psychometrist was familiar with. Getting the message late was expected, for Penny had been as Lucy guessed; in class. Because of her counterpart’s distracting nature, the Brit kept her phone off for the duration of it.

And it was moments like this that proved exactly why.

Because now all Penny could think of was Lucy Serrano stripped down in her bed. Waiting. It put a flush in her cheeks and an undeniable pick up of pace within her step. She wasn’t sure if she should roll her eyes or not, but that hardly seemed like the point.

The university wasn’t too far from Hammel, but the ride still had dragged going back. Public transportation was already an enemy to someone as pedantic as Penelope Blaise, and her impatience only made matters worse.

Walking up the dormitory stairs, she bypassed the co-ed dorms. Although the pyschometrist was well aware that the door was locked and Lucy likely hadn’t figured out that a copy of her key kept safely in her desk, she assumed to check there first for her ink manipulator. She hadn’t left a message saying otherwise, and Penny hadn’t responded to check.

What she didn’t expect was to find Lucy within the hallway outside her dormitory. Even if her own room was locked, she didn’t understand why she wasn’t within the common room.

“Hello” She called out with a raise of her eyebrows, immediately starting to breach the distance between them as she reached out to crossed arms. Acutely aware of her counterpart, she could practically feel tension within her form. “Are you locked out?”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

When severely, overly worked up, Lucy knew her best point of call was distance. Distance from a situation. Distance from a person. Distance from the place it happened. And when she got the chance, she'd put little thought into her plan. Stepping out had been an ill-thought out motion, because despite how badly she wanted to, she couldn't leave. Threatening to leave had gotten her in so much trouble last time; it provided so much strain that it wasn't worth a second round.

So out the front was where she stayed. Arms folded to keep the most pressing obviousness hidden; the sword tattooed on her arm had shifted to settle the hilt in her palm. And while she knew that wasn't an unseen sight for Penelope Blaise, the raise of ink to the forefront layer of skin was. Small, risen - scarring - notions. Like she'd only just gotten it done and it was trying to heal. Like it so desperately wanted to materialise.

A small greeting from the stairs dragged her eyebrows up, dark eyes firmly set on the floor even as she ventured near. The moment she made contact, the Australian flinched. A small shift and she'd be touching imprinted clothes Lucy hadn't had a chance to change.

"No." She replied, a little too quickly and a little too sternly. So she rehashed; "Nah."

Lucy raised her head instinctively, but a better thought would have stopped her from doing so. Though she hardly wore the print of a hand on her face like she had when slapped by the psychometrist, she doubted the slightly reddened nature of cheek would go unnoticed. Somewhere amidst the physical thralls, she had to know her counterpart's roommate would get at least one shot in edge wise.

"Could you-" Lucy started, and quickly stopped herself. A run of her tongue across her lower lip willed certain words to flow, "Let go?" Despite how she knew it would sound harsh, she did everything she could not to make it so. "I've gotta change."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy always looked, it was something the ink manipulator admitted to as well as something Penny always noticed. That smile she gave when she caught sight of the psychometrist. One that she wasn’t wearing because her gaze remained fixed on the floor even after Penny spoke.

And what was more alarming was the reaction she received when reaching out to Lucy. Contact was rarely unwanted between them, and the response shifted Penny’s pulse in the most unwelcome way. Her own hand twitched, fighting her immediate reaction to draw away.

She thought to question why Lucy wasn’t inside the dormitory, and lips parted as she went to speak but the slight color of Lucy’s cheek caught her attention immediately. She wasn’t blushing, but she wasn’t sure just what to think of it yet.

Something was clearly off, and worry started to filter into Penny’s expression as she looked back at Lucy. An explanation hadn’t been offered yet, and as much as much as she wanted to ask, she wanted to grant the Australian time to offer it first.

“Alright.” Penny replied slowly, eyebrows furrowing together as she withdrew herself from the ink manipulator, granting not just freedom from contact but a half step extra of distance. To be denied, both physically and verbally as she had, was a rarity.

“What’s wrong?” The question finally passed her lips. She couldn’t help the concern that took over or the response that came from it. Like habit, dark eyes shifted to Lucy’s arms. A glance to try and catch a sign upon her skin. Although crossed arms blocked a decent portion of ink, she still tried. Still looked where she could. “What happened?”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

As soon as Penny let her go, Lucy exhaled a sigh. It wasn't a particularly comfortable question to ask, and to have it complied with felt more paining than it likely should have. But she was being smart. Or rather, trying to play it as such. Even with a frazzled mind she knew she needed to think to some capacity.

The palm of her hand still pressed against the lion, but within the silence she thought to move it aside. If she couldn't talk, she was sure he could offer something where she could not.

"I forgot you lock your door." She managed to admit. But the most pressing thing to betray her was the way involuntarily unfurled a hand to gesture forward. Lucy was anything but stagnant in most conversations, and the movement of her right hand away from her form and outwards was everything akin to that normality. Bared teeth by the lion on her arm. A still stuck sword on her arm.

She shrugged her shoulders lightly, curling her hand back over the lion again. "Got into chatting with your roommate when I was waiting." She added, and she offered a short, faltering laugh over her own choice of a phrase.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

With the lion hidden, Penny had little to go off of. It usually offered so much when it came to the inner workings of Lucy Serrano. It was never a hidden fact that Penny turned to the ink manipulator’s tattoo, it wasn’t like her to hide her ink, but questioning a fold her arms felt unwarranted.

Her behavior, however, did. With a response offered, even. But more pressing was what became revealed as Lucy spoke. She was always animated; always spoke with her hands. And a flash of teeth caught her gaze immediately. However, that barely passed her subconscious as she held her breath.

There had been only one time she’d seen the sword shift around in that fashion. For the hilt to be at her palm as if she was truly ready to fight. To need protection. Always armed.

“What did she say?” The change in tone within her own voice hardly went unnoticed, taking an almost threatening nature. Her gaze moved back to Lucy as her arms crossed, again hiding the tattoos.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Penny's question really was inevitable. Lucy knew she should have expected it the moment she approached the topic. Had she herself not lost it so uncontrollably, she might have further considered actually just letting her see it all.

"A lot of stuff." She replied, resisting the urge to shrug again. Even now as she tried to look back on it it felt incredibly straining; not because the content burned her, but her own attitude had burned herself. Following a decent memory of what happened felt almost impossible given how muddled everything had so easily become. How she would explain it, she didn't know.

Unfurling her arms again, she pressed the sword into the small of her back and reached out with the other hand. It might have left the lion firmly in view, but of the two she considered the amendment the lesser of two difficulties. A careful hand pressed fingertips against the back of her hand, her thumb wrapping around to her palm. "I just don't want you to see it." She admitted, find the desire perfectly reasonable.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

This wasn’t the first time the pair had issues with Penny’s roommate, and it was why the Brit had all but moved into Lucy’s dormitory. Time spent in her own risked seeing the homophobic girl again, and if she could avoid it, she would.

Lucy’s explanation honestly gave away nothing as to what had happened between her counterpart and her roommate, which only brought more concern to Penny’s features with another quick exhale.

Because although Lucy unfolded her arms, it was still evident she was hiding the turned sword. She’d already caught sight of it, but it was still worth hiding. It wouldn’t have been the first time her tattoos refused to comply with her requests, and the fact that she couldn’t shift the ink on her forearm spoke for itself.

With a twist of her wrist, fingers curled around Lucy’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. An attempt to calm both herself and her counterpart down. Although Penny had no intention of actively seeking out what had happened by means of her ability, she couldn’t recall the last time she actually said she hadn’t wanted the psychometrist to see something.

She wasn’t sure how to move forward from it, other than very carefully. But there was an undeniable spark within her veins. Penelope Blaise was not one to confront others, but this was different. Because she was here. “Let’s get you changed.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

With the small squeeze of her hand, Lucy did her best not to flinch again. The smallest ticks were things she could hardly control, but this was different. Any minor brush to anything she wore would likely throw her counterpart into the memories wrapped to it.

She took a slow breath. It was important to trust the words Penny was giving her. It was important to trust the precision of the psychometrist she knew so well.

Pushing herself away from the wall, the ink manipulator took necessary steps away from the dorm room she was trying her best to avoid. At least for now. Though as this volatile stack of encounters progressed, Lucy knew Penny would be less and less likely to want to be in her own dorm. The effects of the first had made her own the usual point of call by now.

"I might've kissed her." She said slowly, raising her free hand to run it through her hair. To sift it to one side. "But I was proving a point. And that's not the worst of it."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The psychometrist was usually aware of her surroundings, more than most people. An accidental brush against any object could easily throw her, but now she felt more acutely aware than ever over that fact. So she kept her contact with Lucy, but did her best to abide to her request – not even a brush of her clothes would touch her skin. Penny couldn’t possibly imagine the harsh memory within it.

Still she was trying to talk about it, a feat within itself. And so Penny listened as she slowly lead her counterpart down the hall. Away from her dormitory.

A sidelong glance gave insight to the tattoo again; the hilt at her palm before it was lost within dark locks. As easily as the jealous nature of Penny could have kicked in, it hadn’t. Not within its usual way. Jealousy wasn’t a problem; the instinct to protect the one person she cared about was.

“What was the worst of it?” She tried softly, easing open the door which lead to the co-ed dormitories.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

With her gaze securely posted forward, Lucy missed the way Penny would look at her. The way she'd likely study the marks on her skin. As much as the ink manipulator wanted to hide it - or better yet, alter it to let it all settle again - she knew better. Hiding any portion of herself from her counterpart wasn't right. It was the whole reason she stayed nearby when she could have easily left.

The worst of it. Lucy herself had to wonder where that sat. There was an abundance of bashing - on both sides, she knew - but pinpointing the absolute be all and end all of the cuts was the most difficult process she could imagine.

"Do you-" She started, lips firmly pressing together as she considered how to best ask such a question. How to phrase it in the best. The more thought she put in, the cleaner the outcome proved to be; "Do you think I can figure out how to care about more than just myself?" There, it seemed most fitting. Without a reference to the word love, it felt a little less harsh.

And truth be told, the Australian doubted she could even venture to the word after being shut down so easily. "Like, you know how I am about you, right?"

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny had been determined not to assume too much – to give Lucy the time to explain before she let herself get overwhelmed with what might have happened. Get her to the dorm, out of the clothes she didn’t wish to wear, and work on calming. Helping her settle the ink on under her skin and the tension she wore.

But a single question forced Penny to an abrupt stop. Eyes wide as she turned towards her counterpart, trying not to let her expression give away too much. Just as Lucy struggled to hide her tattoos from Penny, the psychometrist struggled to keep herself in check.

“I know you care about more than yourself.” She tried, her free hand twitching as she wished to reach for the Australian. And she did – a beat late fingers slowly rose up to reach for the line of Lucy’s jaw. Contact without touching the clothes she wore.

“She doesn’t know you.” Penny continued, taking in a wavering breath. Another squeeze of her hand and Penny looked back up the stairs. A mistake of a glance, shooting a painful ache of tension through her back. The thought to turn around and return to her dormitory to find her roommate crossed her mind, and it took almost everything to keep herself from doing so. “You care so much. You love me.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The abrupt halt they made had Lucy faltering over a step, a beat behind as she found the means to stop moments later. Curious eyes took in the psychometrist's expression, but she knew exactly what she was going to be faced with before she even saw it.

What she received was arguable. It wasn't an answer to a question, it was a denouncement. She felt the involuntary way tension eased from her jaw underneath Penny's fingertips; it was so like her to adhere to the most basic instincts. After all, they worked. But she still took a slow breath at the movement - the clothes she wore felt as if they scorched her skin with each moment she stayed in them.

"Okay, but." A delicate pause allowed her to reconsider the idea of arguing the points her counterpart was trying to make. There was something far more pressing within the details of her voice. "I do." And as long as Penny knew that Lucy loved her, nothing else mattered.

So what was the problem.

Raising a hand, she pressed her palm against her face, running the length of it slowly before it fell to her side again. "Sorry, I think I made it worse." She admitted; not like she'd gone in to make it any better. But an unwavering stance would have been better than what she'd done.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny knew that, if anything, stopping wasn’t making matters better. It had the potential to make things worse – made it harder to move forward again when the idea to confront her roommate was still fresh within her mind.

Her eyebrows furrowed together, confusion hitting her features as the trail her fingertips made moved up to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. The delicate process of comforting her counterpart was exactly that – there were few things Penny could say without knowing more, and just what she could offer felt like it wasn’t enough.

Easing herself forward, Penny started to walk again, pushing through the resistance she felt in her legs.

An apology was rare from her counterpart, and she wondered exactly why she felt the need to offer it. “I know you do.” She reiterated. “That’s never something I question.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

With a slow step forward, Lucy followed along again. She allowed her counterpart to lead her; leading required strength she didn't know she rightly had. A fight was never over until she felt as if she'd won, but there were far too many pot shots taken for her to find stability.

She was angry. It wasn't rare. But this magnitude was.

There was comfort to be found in the fact that Penny knew of the ink manipulator's affection. There had hardly been a doubt in her mind about that - after all, she knew she'd felt it - but the question posed to her was for her own reassurance only. Hearing the reiteration did everything to bolster that fact.

"I was trying to make it better for you." Lucy continued on, though she knew her statements were likely starting to become incoherent.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Each step put another shot of pain through Penny’s legs – she’d never felt like this before. This angry over something she wasn’t even there to witness. To see her this distressed.

A few steps, and Penny pushed the next door open, continuing to lead her counterpart into the familiar hallway of the co-ed dorms. Almost there. Still, she wondered if the change of clothes would truly make Lucy feel more at ease. At least then, Penny could reach out to her properly. It was jarring to be denied the usual contact between them, but the psychometrist was hardly about to fight it.

Waiting a few beats, Penny continued to walk in silence. She turned over Lucy’s words in her mind, trying to make a decent connection, but nothing was coming through. It felt wrong to have to ask – like she should know what the Australian was trying to convey. And she gave it another moment before she finally did.

“Trying to make what better?” She asked carefully. Lucy Serrano arguably made the Brit’s life better in every way imaginable. She gave her life. Reason. How Lucy could try to give more was beyond her.